Malappuram: The Forest Department has initiated legal action against a man for circulating a fake video of an encounter with a tiger at Karuvarakundu.

A complaint has been filed against Manikkanamparambil Jerin, a native of Karuvarakundu. In the video circulated on Tuesday, Jerin claimed to have spotted a tiger near the Aarthala Tea Estate in the headlights of his vehicle and recorded its footage. He stated that he could not reverse or speed away from the scene and had to wait until the tiger moved back into the forest. 

However, an investigation by the forest department revealed that the footage Jerin circulated was an edited version of an old video. 

Nilambur South Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) G Dhanik Lal confirmed that a formal complaint has been lodged with Karuvarakundu police against Jerin. The circulation of false information instilled unnecessary fear and anxiety among the public, the DFO said.